Death Wish
by LittleDarlingAJ
Summary: She was absolutely feral. An unstoppable force of nature Maria wanted to add to her army, and what Maria wants she gets. Everyone said she must be gifted with unnatural strength or an uncanny ability to wriggle her way out of tight situations. No one knew for sure, but everyone was interested; for surely anyone who had Mary Alice on their team was sure to win.


Yucatan Mexico 1901

Jasper

Pain. Depression. Self loathing.

Uncontrollable bloodlust and a conscience don't exactly go together in my world, though I wouldn't quite say I have one. My gift left me struggling at the best of times, but never like the moments after a meal. Once the blood coated my tongue, slid down my throat to ease the burning torture that existed there, I had one moment of acceptance as the blood lined my dead tissues, before I inevitably succumbed to a violent antipathy of myself.

The vast rainforest I was running through did little to ease my internal torture, however the calmness of nature did seem to distract me a bit as vibrant greens and pinks blurred past me. It had been years since I had been able to feed near anyone else. Being so consumed with self hatred after feeding left me violent, so it's best for everyone if I go elsewhere.

I had taken to running to Belize. The run took at least two hours from the site we had set up in Yucatan. Depending on which city I hit, it sometimes took even longer; ideal for someone who needed at least a day to calm himself enough not to anger the tyrant by slaughtering half her troops. As second in command, there wasn't much she would be able to do to me. She couldn't kill me, much to my chagrin. She needed me far too much for that. No, the torture she would deliver would be more psychological in nature. Far more psychotic indeed.

The last time I had gone on a killing rampage, she'd brought a farmer from a nearby village and ripped his throat out in front of me and four newborns. I'll never forget the screams as the newborns and myself fought over the bloody carcass. All four newborns, slaughtered by me. The terror in the mans face I could get over, but the anxiety he _felt_ as the small woman led him into the field, naturally drawn to her beauty, the pure horror he felt in the pit of his soul as he realized he was to be murdered for sport, that I will never forget.

The bloodlust I felt from the newborns had egged me on. I told myself this everyday. I like to pretend that I am not weak by nature, but rather cursed by this overwhelming "gift." Maria knew it would bother me. Knew it would itch at my tortured soul for years to come, but that is why she chose the punishment. Never question her size or her intelligence. She has proven time and time again that she is malevolent in intent and untrustworthy at the best of times; even to those of us who have proven most loyal to her.

Nearing the outskirts of Mérida I caught the scent of the one woman I despised more than myself. Tuning into her emotional climate came as naturally to me as a human sucking in air. I had been with her since she stole my life in 1863, giving me 40 years to learn the ins and outs of Maria. I had once been very close with her indeed. These days I mainly spent avoiding her. Doing my job proficiently ensured face-to-face time with her was minimal. I liked it best that way.

I could feel, even from a distance, that Maria was in a curious mood today. She was annoyed. She was always annoyed. Never quite pleased with her day-to-day operations even if they went flawlessly. One of the newborns had probably fucked something up while I was gone. I had left Peter in charge, but even with my gift and fighting skills they were a lot to deal with. Pains in the ass, as I liked to call them. I had very little patience with the newborns, however I identified with them on a more personal level than I'd like to admit. None of us had asked to end up here. All of our lives had been stolen by the woman approaching me, and without advanced fighting skills or a useful gift of their own, they were set to die either in battle or at the end of their first year. We all had Maria in common.

Somewhere buried behind her annoyance was a peculiar form of glee. It felt strange coming from Maria, she was so rarely truly happy. Her happiness was warped even today. It left me feeling wary of her approach. No doubt she needed me to do something for her. She'd probably learned insight on neighboring rivals and wanted to discuss strategy, such was my forte.

Upon approach, the smile she unleashed startled me. It was so magnificently beautiful, if I had been a weak human male it would have brought me to tears. Being an immortal and having insight into the blackness of her soul has changed my opinion on the matter. Besides, that look can only mean one thing for me and the others; unyielding danger. I came to a stop in front of her, holding my breath as I awaited my fate.

She stood before me in a flowing white dress. It fell to mid calf and nearly blended in with her alabaster skin. Her curly black hair flowed wildly around her waist and her lips were painted red, semi permanently stained with the blood of her victims. Arms crossed over her chest, posture rigid, she took a confident step forwards.

"Did you have a nice hunt?" She spoke in a high pitched soft voice, that nevertheless carried. I could feel something brewing and I wasn't sure I was prepared for the fall out. "It was pleasant enough, Maria." I addressed her calmly, trying to hint at my eagerness to end the conversation. I had no room for small talk, I only wanted to be left alone.

"Right." She drew the word out, as if she didn't trust my words. She didn't truly care how I was anyway. She wanted something. "You know why I'm here. I have an assignment for you."

This piqued my interest. She rarely approached me alone to go on assignment. Usually I was sent with some of the older newborns. Those who could be trusted a little more freely to hold themselves together, but who were more disposable nonetheless. They never lasted more than a year anyway, I made sure of that.

It wasn't so weird that she was approaching me alone, I usually debriefed the unlucky few who were to go with me, it was that she had gone out of her way to find me before I made it back to the compound. I didn't have Peter here to back me up.

"Pray tell." She was being secretive, and it wasn't sitting right with me. I'd been growing more and more suspicious of her as the years passed. She was up to something.

"I know you've heard the rumors. The ones of the small girl who never makes a wrong decision. She could be an asset to us." She looked at me expectantly, waiting for affirmation that I knew who she was talking about.

I knew the girl she spoke of, of course. News often traveled through Mexico of wild rival covens ripping entire villages limb from limb while they struggled to grow their army. Mexico is a large expanse of territory sought out by several covens. The terrain is vast, and the cities heavily populated, making meals easy to hide. Covens fight over land here often, fights usually being savage and dragging for days on end. It was rare, however, for the news to be about a singular entity. She had made quite a reputation for herself in Jackson, enough for word to spread all the way to the bottom of Mexico about a tiny sprite raising hell for anyone who stood in her way.

She was absolutely feral, they all said. Standing under 5 feet tall with inky black hair cropped short and looking like a young teenager, she tore through two covens in a two week span who dared to approach her about hunting grounds. According to the rumors it was akin to a bloodbath, if venom were blood. She was supposedly an unstoppable force of nature. Any vampire who crossed her path with malicious intent she immediately destroyed. No one had been able to figure out how she saw them coming or how a vampire so small had been able to fend off 7 newborns at a time. All they could think to say is that she must be gifted with unnatural strength or an uncanny ability to wriggle her way out of tight situations. No one knew for sure, but everyone was interested; for surely anyone who had Mary Alice on their team was sure to win.

"I know the one you speak of. She won't come quietly you know." Maria gave me a mocking glare and then tilted her head to the side. "You don't think you can handle the little succubus?" she taunted. "Think the little girl will be able to finish you off, Jasper? I've begun to think that's exactly what you want." She arched a perfectly manicured eyebrow at me, daring me to disagree. I simply stared back at her, keeping my expression blank.

"When do you want me to leave?" I hoped it would be soon, already I was feeling the desire to run, to get as far away from the vile woman standing in front of me as I possibly could.

"Leave straight away, Jasper. Our newest member is waiting for you to find her. It's not often that we send for a member who has already been created, at least, someone we don't plan on murdering. Please make sure she knows she's special." Her spanish drawl was becoming more and more pronounced the longer she spoke, her mood becoming increasingly more volatile. I half expected her to slip into spanish at this point. It was a common habit when she was in a temper. Almost as if she couldn't find harsh enough words in the english language to bark at us. It was pissing her off that Mary Alice was stirring up this much gossip. She'd say it was because she didn't want anyone else finding her first, but truthfully she was jealous that it wasn't she who was stirring up such a storm. Such feelings were hard to hide from an empath.

I nodded once to Maria and then turned in the opposite direction and started to run. It was quite a ways to Jackson, Mississippi. Several states and a country border away a tiny vampire was living freely, completely unaware that someone was on their way to force her into an army of bloodthirsty newborns. I tried not to dwell on the knot that twisted in the center of my stomach. What would be her story, and mine, seemed more and more similar all the time, and I was the one going to initiate the beginning of her torment.

I'd never let that thought stop me before.


End file.
